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The country's top OPM queens Pops Fernandez, Kuh Ledesma and Jaya are due to perform in Southern California in November.
By Tessa Mauricio-Arriola, Manila Times
It isn't just the immeasurable Filipino community in SoCal (Southern California) that's looking forward to the day and date of November 12 — that is, the much-anticipated performance of the Philippines' top three music divas at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Coachella, California. Queen of Soul Jaya, Concert Queen Pops Fernandez and Pop Diva Kuh Ledesma are just as eager to get the concert started for a number of reasons.
The first is, of course, the honor and opportunity to spend time with our countless kababayan in the US after the long pandemic, while the second reason is more personal.
In a digital interview, Pops — who had just completed an American concert tour with the all-male Hitmakers (Nonoy Zuniga, Marco Sison, Hajji Alejandro and Rey Valera) over the summer — told The Manila Times, "It's going to be a different kind of fun for us compared to what I experienced with the boys."
With a glint in her eye, she continued, "Yon kasi, magulo talaga — tawanan all the time — but very male ang humor. Like I said before, I really had so much fun with the four of them on the road, but this one — I have to say it's more of the bonding with the girls that I'm really excited about."
The Concert Queen explained that much as the public sees them together now and then on TV or in pre-pandemic shows, she, Jaya and Kuh haven't been able to catch up in a very long time now.
Of course, Jaya now lives in the US, while Kuh prefers to be tucked away on her farm when not working.
Pops, on the other hand, constantly shuffles between Manila and the US to be with family on both sides of the globe.
"Iba kasi when we're all together doing a show abroad. We really get to talk about life, our kids, our plans, and I always come out of it learning something from the both of them."
Nodding in agreement, Kuh interjects, "Having fallen in love and coming out of those relationships, we can really relate to each other. But while it was all tears before, ngayon iba na ha. We've long moved on and happy na kami!"
For her part, Jaya simply longs for friends and colleagues from here and just can't believe her luck that she'd be in a show again with the Concert Queen and the Pop Diva of the Philippines.
The special concert is fittingly titled Three Divas. According to its showrunner, Enteng Perez, "This is produced by New Paradise Entertainment and Fantasy Springs Casino."
Very confidently, he added, "Three Divas will reactivate the Filipino concert scene in the Coachella Valley again. It's been a while since there were Filipino shows in this market, so Jaya, Pops and Kuh will definitely jumpstart more shows in the desert region of Southern California."
Coachella Valley is known to have big music festivals in the US, and the fact is not lost on the three OPM queens.
It simply adds to the excitement that keeps growing in their diaphragms. Seasoned as they are, all three divas always savor working with each other. Their individual achievements, both in their professional and personal lives, have taken them far beyond the need to compete with fellow performers.
"Exposure-wise, we'll have many production numbers together as a trio, but we will each get 20 minutes where bahala na kami what to sing and do," shared Kuh.
Filipinos in SoCal should therefore expect this one-night-only to be one for the books filled with the three divas' most memorable hits. There will surely be "Dahil Tanging Ikaw" and "Wala na bang Pag-ibig" from Jaya; "Don't say Goodbye and "Bakit Ngayon Ka lang Dumating" from Pops; and, "I Think I'm in Love" and "'Til I Met You" from Kuh, just to name a few.
With that, there's just one more thing left to say. And that is: "Please, Three Divas, promise to bring your show to Manila too."
Tickets to the US concert are available via VP Entertainment with phone number 702-8569723.
